


Plots and Plans

by thirdtimecharmed



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Birthday, Dinner, F/F, Fights, M/M, Movie Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-15
Updated: 2011-05-15
Packaged: 2017-10-19 10:46:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdtimecharmed/pseuds/thirdtimecharmed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John, Dave, Kanaya and Rose all out on an evening together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Plots and Plans

             _This was not perhaps the best of ideas,_ Rose decided as she waited apprehensively in line for her ticket. Of course she was the only one who had arrived on time. John and Dave were both chronically late, so she wasn’t shocked to find them missing, but she wondered at Kanaya’s tardiness. Still, her friend’s laziness wouldn’t prevent her from catching the movie on time, she resolved, purchasing her ticket and settling in to wait, glancing at the clock in irritation. She checked it every thirty seconds, she knew, as she watched the tiny hand tick around and around with no sign of anyone.

-

            Kanaya smirked as she crouched around the corner out of Rose’s sight. Her irritation was obvious in each facet of her body; her feet were tapping the floor and her arms were crossed over her chest. Luckily, she was focusing on the entrance and Kanaya took that opportunity to sidle up to Rose, keeping her face concealed. Painstakingly carefully, she sat down softly next to Rose, and, leaning in, whispered ‘boo’ in her ear.

            Rose jumped, her surprise alone stopping her from cursing as Kanaya held back giggles.

            “That was highly unnecessary,” Rose said, still breathless but trying to maintain her dignity.

            “Yes But It Was Highly Gratifying,” Kanaya replied, grinning, “It Would Appear You Were Not Expecting Me.”

            “What gives you that impression?” Rose asked dryly. Kanaya laughed once more.

            “I Assume The Boys Are Late.”

            “Yes.” Rose sighed,  “I suppose we ought to wait for them.”

            We Can Find A Way To Kill Time,” Kanaya said, wrapping her arm around Rose’s waist. Rose simply rolled her eyes and

turned to smile at her.

            “I’m sure you have a few ideas,” she grinned.

            Meanwhile, John and Dave were lost and bickering.

            “Dave you swore on your honor it would be around this cornier,” John griped, craning his neck and looking for the theater.

            “It’s not my fault. Lalonde chose some dipshit obscure theater.” Dave countered, “and the movie we’re seeing, Jegus did you look at it.”

            “No,” John said flatly, “but it’s kind of weird that you looked at the movie but not the theater!”

            “Hey shut up man the movie sounded like bullshit and I didn’t know the theater was just a goddamn hole in the wall.”

            John simply giggled and rolled his eyes while Dave sulked.

            “Alright bro yeah we’re lost as balls but maybe we should just rig up Lalonde and bail.”

            “But that’s so rude!”

            “We’re lost dude and its not like we can get there on time,” he argued, pulling out his cell phone.

\--

The insistent buzzing startled Rose and Kanaya out of their discussion, and Rose sprang to answer it.

            “Hello Dave.” she said dryly, not bothering to check the caller ID.

            “Hey” he answer, “so were you planning on telling us where the fuck this damn theater is?”

            “So you’re lost.” She said dryly.

            “No way dude its more like you snarky broads are fucking hiding.”

            Rose shot a quick look at Kanaya, who she knew could hear every word.

            “Only one of us is,” she said.

            “Whatever the fuck that means look if John and I can’t make it just go see your weird foreign thing and we’ll catch up at dinner.”

            “Well we’re exactly are you?” she said. Dave gave the street name, and Kanaya began laughing.

            “What?” Dave snapped, hearing her tiny laughter through the phone.

            “I’m sorry Dave, its just well…we can see you two right now,” Rose giggled. “You’re on the wrong side of the road. John is waving at us now.”

            Dave hung up, whirling around to see John waving frantically at a building across the street. He grabbed Johns hand and dragged the stammering boy across the street.

            Rose smiled pleasantly at them as they purchased their tickets and approached.

            “Right on time, “ she said. Dave just grumbled but John smiled.

            “Good!” he said, “I wouldn’t want to miss it!”

            “Well We Ought To Hurry, Because It Starts In Five Minutes.” Kanaya interjected, trying to fend off the argument she saw on the horizon. Not waiting for group approval, she wrapped her arm around Rose’s waist and steered her toward the theater John tripped happily after them as Dave sauntered behind he seeming parade of dipshittery.

\--

John squirmed anxiously, biting his lip he had never wanted to smack Dave more in his life. He could handle the snark, he could take the stupid metaphor any other time but god forbid he even get bored.

He looked apologetically at Rose, but she was intently focused on the film and oblivious to her brother’s misbehavior. Kanaya saw his look, and nodded sympathetically as Dave continued to chuck popcorn at unsuspecting theater goers.

“Ten points,” he said, fist pumping slightly as he landed a piece of popcorn in another bag of popcorn and John finally lost it.

“Dave,” he hissed, “knock it off.”

“Why bro?” he asked, “I’m not bothering anyone.”

For a long moment, all John could do was stare in disbelief at Dave, who waited expectantly. Finally John just sighed.

“It’s bothering me! So please stop it!”

“Whatever dude,” Dave said, rolling his eyes to John’s extreme irritation.

“How about you actually try and watch the movie?” he suggested, and Dave scoffed.

“I don’t understand a damn thing bro I’ll just sit tight.”

This normally would have led to an argument about how, if Dave had begun by paying attention, he would understand it now, but John simply didn’t have the energy so he sighed and turned back to the screen. The film couldn’t end soon enough.

-

Rose for her part was succeeding very well with ignoring Dave’s antics. This had been her choice of movies and it was just as intriguing as she had expected. Even Kanaya’s tentative arm snaking around her shoulders didn’t put her off, she merely rested her head on the troll’s shoulder. Kanaya smiled down at the girl, nearly oblivious to the bickering taking place on Rose’s other side until a piece of popcorn hit her in the face. John’s whispered cry of “ _Dave,”_ focused her attention toward the culprit. Over Rose’s head, she glared at the shade wearing boy, words being unnecessary to convey the message of ‘knock it off.’

The movie was a tragic one. Rose had walked in knowing this, but as the main character slowly wasted away on screen and her friends and relatives slowly mourned the upcoming loss, her heartstrings were pulled. However, the tragedy had taken John completely by surprise. While Rose merely buried her head in Kanaya’s shoulder after the death scene, finding comfort as the troll stroked her hair, John’s eyes were fixated on the screen.

Fortunately Dave hadn't been paying attention in the first place. Insensitive to the emotional trauma on screen, he was able to focus on more pressing issues. He nudged John softly with his elbow, jolting him back to reality.

“You okay bro?” he asked, unable to keep the smirk out of his voice. John sniffed once and cleared his throat, glaring defensively.

“I’m fine,” he insisted, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

“Right,” Dave answered, rolling his eyes, “not heartbroken at all.”

John smacked his arm.

“If you’d been paying any attention you would have felt sad as well!” he insisted. Dave scoffed.

“Coolkid bro that shits below me,” he said airily as John rolled his eyes.

The movie ended, and Rose got up, unashamedly wiping her eyes. Seeing Kanaya’s worried face, she giggled.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, smiling, “I was merely taken aback.”

“You Seemed Very Distraught,” Kanaya defended, “I Was Worried About Your Mental State.”

“Needlessly,” she added, looking stern, “I will be perfectly fine, it was foolish to get so caught up in the moment.”

John and Dave were still bickering about Dave’s emotional status and vulnerability, and their argument continued well on the way to the restaurant.

“Dave I’m not calling you weak, I’m saying anyone who was actually watching the movie would have been upset by it!” John insisted.

“Dude no I’m like an emotionless cyborg it’s fucking badass.”

A loud smacking sound rang out as John’s hand hit his face.

“John That Sounded Rather Painful,” Kanaya said, sounding concerned.

“It was,” he said, face still buried behind his hand. Dave and Rose made identical snerking noises, both trying and failing to hide their amusement from John, who merely glared and said “thanks.”

Kanaya frowned and nudged Rose, who simply shrugged and did her best to look angelic.

-

It was Rose and Dave’s turn to fight once dinner was served. Their plates cooled and congealed slowly as they leaned across the table. John and Kanaya had done their very best to prevent this, seating themselves diagonally and providing other plentiful topics, but this always happened. The topic always switched to this.

“Dave you are so lazy!” She cried in frustration, “if you actually applied to what you do, you could succeed!”

“I’ll apply myself when I find something that’s worth my while,” Dave snapped, “why bother with all the other useless bullshit.”  
            “That’s another thing, you’re so apathetic. You don’t have anything to care about, and you never commit because you’re just so afraid of looking like you care.”

“Rose,” Kanaya said, tugging her sweater gently, “You Are Making A Bit Of A Scene.”

Rose heard her words, and snapped partially into herself as she sat down, cheeks still flushed with irritation. Dave had not stirred, but his whole body was tense and defensive as John watched him, worried.

“You don’t even care about your friends,” Rose grumbled, unwilling to let it go and causing Kanaya to throw up her hands in a gesture of defeat.

“That’s bullshit, I mean I’m not about to throw myself at your goddamn feet but I’m not totally shameless,” Dave defended.

"Uhh Dave you said just the opposite nearly an hour ago,” John said softly.

“Shut up Egbert you’re not helping.”

“That’s another thing!” Rose said, “You and John are ridiculous! Have you even fully committed to him?”

John's cheeks closely resembled a tomato as he hit his head against the wall next to him, to Kanaya’s worry. Dave and Rose remained oblivious to his distress as they sat opposite each other, glaring daggers.

“That’s none of your fucking business Lalonde,” Dave growled, although the answer was obvious in John’s poorly concealed dejection, “It’s not like you don’t have your share of retarded issues I mean fuck can’t you even back out of our relationship.”

“If I never meddled with you, you’d never do anything,” she shot back, “I was the one who had to convince you to ask out John in the first place and theoretically you two are happy.”

“Yeah whatever we’re fucking skipping hand and hand through fields of flowers but you can’t take all the damn credit for that.”

“You didn’t seem too happy today,” she countered, gesturing to John, who had his head buried in his hands in a posture of defeat.

“Rose,” Kanaya interjected, getting cut off by an impatient hand gesture from the former.

“And furthermore I feel perfectly comfortable taking credit for your happiness, considering how much advice I have given you,” she continued.

“Rose,” Kanaya tried again, getting cut off once more.

“Just because you are too lazy to try and get anything you want out of life doesn’t mean you can lash out at those around you, Dave,” she finished triumphantly. Dave snorted.

“Look who’s talking,” he pointed out snidely, at the same time Kanaya lost patience and placed a hand over Rose’s mouth.

“Rose,” she snapped, “You Are Acting In A Manner I Believe You Will Regret Upon Later Reflection,” she continued as Rose slowly deflated, “I Believe It Will Be Best For Us All If We Leave John And Dave For The Moment,” she added as she saw John’s clear dejection. “Thank You Two For The Evening, It Was A Lovely Time.”

            She paid for their half of the bill, and ushered a shell shocked Rose out of the restaurant to avoid further scenes, and Dave, now sans an opponent, finally noticed John’s emotional distress.

            “Oh hey bro,” he said awkwardly, “Sorry about that. Lalonde was just being a bitch.”

            “Yeah,” John said noncommittally, fiddling with a fork, “It’s fine.”

            “Doesn’t seem fine. You’re forgetting dude, I can read you like a book, you’re a shitty liar. Might as well spill.”

            John gave a breathy sigh. “It’s nothing,” he insisted, “It will probably work itself out in the end.”

            “That’s bullshit man if something’s wrong you gotta tell me.” Dave said, turning to face John in his seat, “This will never get off the damn ground if you keep shit hidden.”

            “Well that’s the problem!” John cried, giving up on concealment.

            “What’s the problem?”

            “This! What the hell is it? Rose was right, we never even said anything…” he trailed off. An awkward silence persisted as the two left the restaurant, neither one willing to speak first. Finally, halfway to John’s house, they both spoke at once.

            “Dave I-“

            “Hey Egbert-“

            John laughed uncomfortably. “You first.”

            “Fine,” Dave sighed, “Sorry I’ve been such a prick today,” he mumbled through gritted teeth, still unwilling to concede to failure, “I mean this was for your birthday and all.”

            “It’s fine,” John said.

            “You don’t have to sound so surprised bro,” he grumbled, making John giggle.

            “Sorry,” he said, adding, “and I’m sorry for bringing up, uh, you know. It doesn’t really matter.”

            “Well I mean its bothering you isn’t it, so that kinda matters,” Dave shrugged. “Listen bro I’ve been meaning to ask you about that anyway,” he blushed.

            “About what?” John asked, looking up hopefully.

            “God damnit you know what I’m talking about dude,” he snapped, flustered, “As much as I hate to admit it, Lalonde was half right.”

            “Dave…” John said softly.

            “No dude let me finish this shit,” he insisted, “I’ve been kind of a prick to you and stringing you along and shit and to be goddamn honest I didn’t even think you’d be interested until she said so so I’ve been putting this off for a while but dude really if you were thinking I wasn’t interested or something you should have said so.”

            “Well.. I.. uh…” John stammered incoherently, still unable to process what he was hearing, “I’m sorry?”

            Dave sighed in irritation. “Dude just blink once if you are fucking getting this but I think we’re pretty much already a thing.

            “Wait, wait,” John said, grinning happily, “are you asking me to, you know,” he blushed, “go steady.”

            “Well if this were the goddamn 1920s,” Dave laughed, “but seriously yes bro what did you think I was going for.”

            “With you, who knows,” he teased, “you could start out like that and then go on some tangent and end up asking me to make you a sandwich or something, it’s entirely possible.”

            “Dude,” Dave said impatiently, “Are you even gonna fucking answer my question?”

            John started, “Oh. Yes!”

            “Yes you’re gonna answer or yes you want to date me?”

            He laughed and hugged Dave in response. “Yes I want to date you,” he said, looking up happily at his now boyfriend. Dave grinned in relief and leaned down to kiss John’s forehead.

            “Happy birthday bro,” he murmured, and John blushed once more.

-

            Kanaya and Rose, holding hands, watched all of this transpire from a concealed spot halfway down  the street.

            “I Knew It Would Be Successful,” Kanaya said, grinning.

            “You certainly were convincing,” Rose said, leaning into her and smiling.

            “It Is Always Satisfactory To See A Pair Happy Together,” she said, looking fondly at Rose.

            “However I would say it is far better to be in one of your own,” Rose observed, smiling back.

            “Yes I must agree,” she said, and leaned in for a kiss. 


End file.
